Grade 5-8 Performance Task
Contributed by: New York State Education Department (NYSED)
NYS Alternative Assessment in Science Project (1996)
Task:
In this activity, you will be reading and interpreting
the information from a barograph from a major winter storm.
Background:
Over the weekend of March 13 & 14, 1993, over
two (2) feet of snow fell over much of New York State. A barograph
continuously recorded the air pressure during the storm. The chart
shows the air pressures as recorded by that barograph.
-
In the space below, make a table of the barometric
pressures from the barograph at four hour intervals.
Start the table at 8:00 am on Saturday and end with 8:00 am
on Sunday. Record the barometric pressures to the nearest
tenth of an inch.
-
A very distinct front passed through this
region. On which day and time did it arrive?
-
What observations from the graph led you
to your conclusion in question #2?
-
During which four hour period was the wind
velocity the greatest?
-
Using complete sentences, describe how you
used the barograph to determine your answer to question #4.
-
Using complete sentences, describe the relationship
between air pressure and air temperature between 8:00 PM on
Saturday and 8:00 am on Sunday.
-
Draw a line graph of the likely temperature
pattern during the time period described in question #6.
